Permafrost Hollows i'm watchin' the phone ring; it's making me angry

Relief cuts through the tension cloaking him heavily when he hears his mate's chuff, and he turns wordlessly to meet him. His ears tilt back slightly at the expression he's met with, but the kiss quickly rectifies the situation — and thankfully, Kratos knows what to do immediately. As odd as it is for him, though, it feels even more strange for Zephyr. He's felt vulnerable with his mate before, even helpless, but this reminds him of a feeling far older than those experiences. This reminds him, in a watered down way, of a childhood spent cowering in the shadows every waking moment, trailing his brother and father almost obsessively in search of the relief they provided. Dependence had a bitter taste back then, thorough and one-sided as it'd been. But now, as his mate carefully works the last of the thorns from his flesh, he finds only comfort in it; he knows that he could do the same for Kratos, that he would, that they are equals in the ways they support one another. He reaches out to lick his nose gratefully when he finishes. Thank you, His voice is soft, affectionate.